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SMTB Part 3: The Secret Life of Apple-chan
SEPTEMBER 7, 2019 NARUKI ASCENSION ACADEMY Ringo Kubo has the same dream every night. It starts the same way each time. She is eight years old. She is splattered with blood, with the most horrified look on her face. Lying in front of her is a man in shopkeepers' clothes, motionless in a pool of his own blood. She can hear her mother's screams. She herself can only stare. It changes. She is in that dark, rainy alleyway. She is fifteen years old. Her brother lies beaten brutally, and motions slowly towards the school emblem he was so proud of. Again, she can only watch. It changes again. It is only a few weeks later. She opens her eyes, and is staring up at a sea of tree cover. Again, it is raining. She can still feel the pain. She ponders whether moving at all is worth it. "Rin...Riiiin..." She stirs awake. "Up and at 'em, Rin-Rin! Sleeping's fun and all but we gotta get up sometime~." Tenko shouted. Rin sighed at this. Sleeping has not exactly been fun for her in recent times. She got herself dressed and left her room. Tenko and Rose were already waiting. "Sheesh, someone must've had a memorable night." Tenko said. "You don't know the half of it." Rin retorted. "OK, we all remember the plan for today, yeah?" You're going with JoJo and Hiyoko, Rosie. It'll be good to hang out with someone else other than us for a change." said Tenko. "Understood. I've been looking forward to it." Rose answered. "OK, they'll be here in a little bit. Let's go grab Jin, Rin-Rin." "Righto. I'll proceed with the grabbing of your boyfriend." "Not that kind of grabbing, cheeky." Rin stuck her tongue out cheekily. Rin and Tenko left, and went over to the boys' dorms. Tenko knocked on the door, echoing the first level theme's intro from Super Mario Bros. "Cute. Real cute." deadpanned Rin. Jin walked out the door wearing a navy hoody and jeans. "Morning, ladies." "Morning, loverboy." said Rin. "Not gonna stop ragging me for that, huh?" "I'm here to haunt your every moment." "So, anyway..." began Jin, before noticing Rin making a circle with one hand and moving one finger into and out of the circle with the other. "OK that's enough from the peanut gallery." Jin griped. "Peanut or penal?" Rin joked. "Our future award-winning author, ladies and gentlemen." Tenko added, laughing. "ANYway. We're headed to Yūji's first, yeah? Think he'll have forgiven me for...the hot tea incident?" Jin asked. "Please, he's probably moved on already. That dude has the patience of a saint." Tenko answered. "Welp, only one way to find out." As Jin started to leave, he suddenly hoisted Rin over his shoulders and proceeded to walk out. "Wha, hey! The hell's going on?! Help! This maniac's kidnapping me!" She continued griping as Tenko followed, laughing. The trio proceeded to the Yamada café. Rin was in a huff. Jin clasped his stomach. "What are you some kind of marine? The hell did you do with those feet..." "The least I could've done, creep!" Rin griped. They approached the counter. "Hey, Yūji-senpai!" said Tenko. "Hey, dude." Jin said sheepishly. Yūji looked over at Tenko, then to Jin. "Hrm. Took you long enough." he finally said. "I uh...see your eyebrows are back." Jin said. Yūji just stared him down. "...I think I'll grab a table." Jin walked away. A few minutes later the girls sat down. Jin grabbed his drink and gave it a sniff. "Seriously?" Tenko asked. "Can never be too careful." Jin retorted. "Still not used to doing nothing on a Saturday. Not that I'm complaining." "Boy they really ran you ragged, huh?" Rin asked. "Oh God, you have no idea. Even on my one day off I'd just spend it sleeping. Couldn't even muster the energy to game." "Oh, that's right, Tenko mentioned that was your big thing." "'Big' might be an exaggeration. Frankly speaking I'm not even that good." "Oh, he's just being modest. It's what got him into the academy. And academics too, of course." "I just won one little Street Fighter tournament, that's all. School apparently thought that was impressive." "Maybe it was the 'not losing a single round' thing?" "Seriously, I'm not that good." "I'd like to see, if you don't mind." Rin asked. "I think there's an arcade close by." "You sure about this? I'm a bit rusty." "Gotta make sure bestie's boy toy isn't a wuss, after all." "Oh. Is that right?" Jin got up from his seat. "Challenge accepted." he said in a serious tone. "Did I just make a mistake?" Rin asked. "I love it when he gets that look in his eyes." Tenko added. The trio left, Rin pondering all the while how big a mistake she'd just made. --- NARUKI MARKET DISTRICT "So, what exactly are we here for, again?" Shūjo asked. He, Hiyoko and Rose were in the middle of Naruki's biggest market district. "Well, there's some cute shops around here I've been hearing about. Thought it'd be a good way to spend a day. And...maybe we can find Rosie here a hobby." Hiyoko answered. "A hobby, you say?" Rose pondered. "Well, I just noticed you mostly follow everything Rin and Tenko do. You've been getting better at emoting and communicating these last couple weeks, so maybe we could find something for you to be interested in yourself." "Hmm, interesting..." "You and your development plans, Hiyoko. Teacher practice even during free time." Shūjo added. "Just trying to help a friend, that's all." Hiyoko said. The trio came across a fruit market. "Good grief, would you look at all this. Never even seen some of this stuff." Shūjo said. Suddenly, a woman popped up from behind the display. She was red-haired, and had a flower-print apron. "That's the idea!" she cheerily exclaimed. "OH GOD!" said a surprised Shūjo. "Oh, sorry about that. My kids keep warning me about spooking customers, hehe..." Rose studied the woman's face. "Those eyes...I've seen them before." "Hm? My eyes you say? My husband always did say they were as radiant as the sun...hehe." "Hang on..." Rose looked up at the sign on the store. Sure enough, her suspicions proved true. The sign read "Kubo Produce". "'Kubo'? Wait a second, isn't that Rin's last name?" Hiyoko asked. "Oh, you know my Rin-chan? She's my youngest!" the woman exclaimed. "Damn, that explains it. You're practically her spitting image." Shūjo said. "We're Rin's classmates, ma'am. And this one right here's her roommate." Rose respectfully bowed. "A pleasure, ma'am. My name is Rosemary." "Oh, aren't you just precious! But what's all this 'ma'am' business? Any friend of Rin-chan can call me Hana! Oh, where are my manners? Please, come in! I have so much more inside. But first..." Hana stared at Shūjo. "Take that out before coming in, kiddo. Real or no, it isn't a good look." "Wha, seriously? Of course it isn't real! My mom'd ki-- er, that stuff'd kill me!" Shūjo babbled. "Ahahaha, don't think I didn't catch that first part. I'd recommend listening to your mom, though. It comes from a place of love~." She motioned for them to come inside. "Boy. Never thought our cynical Rin would have a mom this...bubbly." Shūjo muttered. The trio walked inside, to a vast assortment of exotic fruit. "A bit much, I know, but you never want to limit your options." Hana said. "The hell is this?" Shūjo asked, holding a strange, green fruit. "Oh, that's one of my recent imports from Africa. Pretty popular, actually. Might need another shipment soon." Shūjo shrugged. "Can't hurt to try." Rose noticed a pair of portraits behind the counter. One was of a young dark-haired boy with glasses. The other was of a middle-aged man with dark hair and glasses. "My husband and my youngest boy." Hana said. "This store's been part of my husband's family for generations. He was always so proud of it, and he wanted our boys to take over. But my oldest was always getting into trouble, and my youngest...well, dear Tohru was always ambitious. He was always going to own something far bigger than our little store. And my Rin-chan was such a free spirit that she would never consider it." "You mentioned an older boy. Rin never mentioned having more than one brother." Hiyoko said. "Oh, yes. Hyōtan, my oldest. He was something of a problem child, always getting into fights and making mischief. Ended up costing him three hard years in prison. But it may have been a blessing. For all intents and purposes he's gotten his act together. In two months he'll be released, and he wants to help out at the store. Which I'd be more than welcome to." "A teenaged screw-up, huh? Guess I can relate to that." said Shūjo. "Miss Hana, if it isn't too much to ask...what happened to your husband?" Rose asked. "Hm, a curious girl, aren't you? It's fine, customers ask all the time. Dearest Kaito...he was such a wise business mind. He was the one who arranged for most of our foreign imports to come in. We always did reasonably well, but unfortunately it might have been too well." "Eight years ago, it was just a normal business day. We had Rin with us that day, she'd been home with a cold. And then...a lost soul came in. Couldn't have been older than fifteen. And he had a pistol. He demanded everything in our register. But my Kaito...he tried to calm this boy down. Told him that he probably had more money than we did. This boy didn't like that, and..." She paused for a moment. "It's okay, miss. I understand." Rose said. "No, it's alright. I don't have any tears left. But Rin-chan...she had to watch. It isn't something any child should have to see. And she's seen it twice. She was the one who found Tohru, she was there as he went. She's still just a baby, and she's had to see so much pain and misery. I'm just thankful for you all being friends with her. She needs good companionship now more than ever. She didn't have that after Tohru died, and that's what made her..." She stopped. "No, no. She wouldn't want me spilling all her skeletons. She'll tell all when she wants to. I just feel so bad for her. Neither the boy that killed my husband nor the one who took Tohru were ever caught. I know that doesn't sit well with Rin-chan. Just...promise me you'll keep an eye on her for me. She has...a flair for the drastic, let's just say." "We will, miss." Rose said. "There was actually something else I wanted to ask you." Rose continued. "Hm? What is it, dear?" "I would like to help you here." "Oh, that's very sweet of you, but I'm alright here." "At least until your son is released. I want to understand people more, and I can help here after school for a few hours. And it would help keep Rin's mind at ease." "Well, if you insist, I wouldn't mind at all. Oh, where were you all when Rin-chan was struggling? If only she always had friends like you all. Thank you for looking after her for me." The trio bid Hana farewell. "That was very kind of you, Rose." Hiyoko said. "Damn straight. I'd say we're making progress." Shūjo added. "It's only the right thing to do. I can see how tired she must be working there alone, even with her sunnier disposition. It must weigh heavily on Rin's mind. And perhaps being around her mother will help me understand Rin a bit more." Rose said. "Guess so. Feels like she isn't being totally upfront, but her business is her business. She'll open up eventually." said Shūjo. They continued walking. --- Rin was bad at video games. "K.O.! Perfect!" Rin was really bad at video games. After losing eight straight Street Fighter 2 matches to Jin, Rin began to realize that perhaps challenging a lifelong gamer to prove his credentials in front of his girlfriend was not a smart move. "Need any more educating?" Jin asked. "No, I...I think I get the idea." Rin said, defeated. "And to think this is with months of rust..." Tenko added. "Helps that I haven't touched one of these things in years..." Rin said, shuddering at the thought that this could've been worse. "Don't fret about it. I didn't get any enjoyment from it. Topping a newbie's like punching a seal." Jin said. "That grin on your face says otherwise..." Rin retorted. Tenko looked at her watch. "Oh, shoot! We're supposed to meet with JoJo's group in a bit. C'mon kiddies, time to hustle!" "Aw, man. And here I was about to show my Tekken creds..." Jin said. Rin just sighed, knowing she'd been spared further punishment. --- Hiyoko looked out to the ocean. The trio were at the local docks, where Rin had first met Shūjo. "Brings back memories, don't it?" Shūjo asked. "Well, of course, silly. It's only where you found me." Hiyoko answered. "Found? Is this where you both first met?" Rose asked. "Yeah, it is. Six years ago, in fact. Six years since the most important day of my life..." Hiyoko drifted away into thought. --- SIX YEARS AGO A boy with a straw in his mouth sat on the edge of the docks, staring out into the ocean. Some cargo boats nearby were unloading their supply. The boy looked over, and saw an odd sight. While none of the workers were looking, a small box slowly moved off of the boat by itself. The boy, Shūjo, was dumbfounded. "Am I losing it?" he questioned. The box quickly moved away from Shūjo, who got up and proceeded to give chase. He managed to corner the box behind several other stacked boxes. As he moved closer, he could hear a small whimper coming from the box. "What the...?" he wondered. He lifted the box, and was surprised to see a girl about his age, with brown hair, tattered clothes and no shoes, hiding underneath. "A girl? The heck? What're you doing here? You lose your mom or something?" "Mom...doesn't want...I'm...too sick..." the girl said weakly. "Doesn't want...what kinda parent just gets rid of their kid cuz they're sick? And why were you on that boat?" "Mom...not want...home far away..." The girl coughed. "Hey hey hey, take it easy. Alright, let me take you to my mom. She might know what to do. What's your name?" "Hi...Hiyoko...I'm...Hiyoko." "Hiyoko, huh? Well, good to meet you, Hiyoko. I'm Shūjo. But everyone calls me JoJo." "Thank you...JoJo..." "Hey, don't mention it. Now, let's get you out of here." Shūjo picked Hiyoko up, steadied himself, and walked away. --- "Astonishing." Rose said. "So you were just abandoned by your own parents like that?" "My mother was a religious fanatic. Thought that hardened faith could fix everything, even all that I've got going on in me. When that didn't work, one day she just up and walked out of the house. I fended for myself for months. I was nearly dead when JoJo found me. But him and his clan took me in, and I've been joined at the hip with this lump ever since." "I see...I take it your father was never in the picture, then." "Nope. Got no clue who he is, and frankly I never want to. All I know is that my mother always used to call him 'the devil'. Now if someone who'd abandon their own child would call someone the devil..." "How can you be so sure your mother abandoned you, though?" "Well...about a month after she walked out, I was wandering the streets, trying to keep myself alive. I look in the window of this one shop, and lo and behold, there's my mother. Enjoying herself like nothing had happened. She even looked out and saw me at one point." "What did she do?" "Nothing. Just looked away and continued her business. It was like she was staring right through me." "But that doesn't matter now. I have JoJo and you all. But I'll admit, I miss having that parental connection, even if it was toxic. I envy Rin a bit, for having such a lovely mother. That's why...if I have kids someday, I'm not walking out on them. Ever. I'll be twice the woman my mother was..." Rose stayed silent for a moment. She checked to see if anyone was watching. "Hiyoko. Your resolve is inspiring. And I believe that we have been keeping you out of the loop for too long. Do you agree, JoJo?" Shūjo looked surprised. "Wait, you're serious? No way, it's too dangerous for her!" Hiyoko looked confused. "Ehhh, what's all this about?" "I believe you have the fortitude for what we have been doing. What I'm about to do might be shocking at first, but if your resolve is as firm as you present it, then there will be no problems." "Hmm, I still don't really get all the weird talk, but if you think this is alright..." Rose stared at Shūjo. "Tch. Fine! But if things go south, don't say I didn't warn you." "I will assume full responsibility of anything that may go awry. Now, without further delay..." Rose pressed a button on her phone, and a doorway appeared. "...so...what have you all been up to?" A shocked Hiyoko asked. The trio entered the doorway. On the other side the trio appeared in what looked to be a hotel hallway. "The heck are we? What's with the getup, JoJo? And what happened to your eyes, Rose?" Hiyoko asked. "We are inside an abyss known as Tartarus. This is where the cognition of the whole of humanity gathers. And this, where we are, is the Palace of the general public." "Cognition...abyss...JoJo, did you slip me something back at the shop?" "Believe me, I didn't believe it myself. But this is 100% real. You know how that scumbag Kyōshinja just up and turned a new leaf? Or how Jin's attitude changed? This is where we made it happen." "Clearing a person's heart of distortion, leading to a change of heart...that is what we've set out to do. Occasionally, a person's heart will be so distorted that they form an entire Palace to house it. For the rest of mankind, this is where the subconscious lies. And this room right here belongs to you, Hiyoko." Rose explained. "So all that weirdness was from you guys? And you want me to tag along? How would I even help?" "By confronting what lies within this room. Only by accepting the truth that sleeps within your heart can you unlock true power." "True power, eh...guess it can't hurt to try. I'm in." "Excellent. Let's go." Rose opened the door. Inside, it was a darkened room. What could be seen was religious tapestries lining the walls, and what looked to be medical equipment lying about. At the end of the room, a woman was hunched over what looked to be a sink. She was dressed as a nurse. "Wellll, look who decided to return home." the woman said. She turned around. "Mother...?" Hiyoko said. "That is not her. It's a construct based on your memories." Rose said. "You're far overdue for your treatment, young lady." the woman hissed. "There is no ailment that God cannot fix. Unless you are of the devil as I've long suspected..." This irritated Hiyoko. "Devil, schmevil! I had to go through your 'treatments' for years when I needed a real doctor's help! I might not be as sick as I am now if I'd gotten real help sooner!" "Wretched little heathen. I gave you 10 years of my time and all I ever got was backsass and heretical thoughts. You're just like that devil of a man I laid with all those years ago. You were my curse for daring to go outside the confines of marriage. You make me sick!" Hiyoko was growing visibly more agitated. "I'' make ''you sick?! You dumped me like garbage and acted like I was nothing but a burden! If it wasn't for JoJo finding me, getting me real help, I'd be rotting away in a gutter somewhere! All I ever heard from you is 'God this' and 'God that', 'God will sort it out'. Would God be happy with a mother abandoning a child who just needed help? You're nothing but a hypocrite! I...I..." "I HATE YOU SO DAMN MUCH!" ... I have been waiting for so long to heed your call. Hiyoko's eyes widened. She fell to her knees and clasped her head. The false prophet standing before you chose her own livelihood over your own. Hypocrites such as this have tainted the world with their nonsense for far too long. Mere forgiveness cannot be deemed enough. Do you agree? "Yes...yes, Morrigan. I won't allow this anymore." Excellent. Let us mark the occasion with a contract. Hiyoko's eyes turned yellow, and the pain intensified. I am thou, thou art I...a world tainted by hypocrisy and false idolatry cannot go unchallenged. It is time to take on the role of herald. The herald of a new world order, free from the tyranny and hypocrisy of selfish heretics! With a yell, Hiyoko was engulfed in blue flames. She emerged wearing a dark blue and green vest and blouse with a scarf. Behind her was a spiritual woman bearing bat-like wings, a black gown that appeared to be stained with blood, and a light complexion. "Goodbye, mother. Send my regards to the dodo." She motioned for her Persona to attack. The woman manifested a giant bell in front of her, and proceeded to strike it. Upon hearing the noise, Hiyoko's mother began to show cracks all over her body, which grew in size until eventually she dissolved into nothing. "Hey, Rose." Hiyoko began. "We're going after Ishimaru and his team of scumbags, right? Count me in. I didn't get the pleasure of making Kyōshinja squirm. I intend to be there when his bosses get what's coming to them." She turned to Shūjo. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you. I'm going to repay that kindness, you'll see." Shūjo grunted. "The heck're you talking about? You're repaying me just by staying the way you are. That's enough for me." Hiyoko smiled at this. "If you say so." "Let's get going. Rin and the others must be waiting." Rose said. The trio left through the door. Sure enough, after passing through the doorway, Rin's trio were waiting near the dock. "Huh? You all went to a Palace? And Hiyoko too?" Rin asked. "I have so many questions!" exclaimed Hiyoko. The group began walking back to the dorms. "Oh, right. In all the excitement I forgot to mention that we met your mother today, Rin." Rose said. "Huh? Really?" "Oh, yeah. She was a real sweetheart. Rosie here even volunteered to help her out after school." Shūjo said. "For real? That's...wow. I don't know what to say. That's really nice of you, Rose." "It isn't any trouble. It'll be at least until your brother's prison sentence ends." Rin stopped cold. "Huh? Prison sentence?" asked Jin. "Brother? Rin-Rin, I thought you said your brother was--" began Tenko. "What else did she tell you?" Rin demanded. "Is there something wrong, Rin?" Rose asked. "What else did she tell you?" "She just told us about your father, Rin. Nothing else, I promise." "You're not lying to me, are you?" "Jeez, what's gotten into you?" Shūjo asked. Rin stopped for a moment. She shook her head. "S-sorry about that. I don't know what came over me. I-it's fine, I'm alright now. Hehehe..." She laughed nervously. The others gave a doubtful look." They walked the rest of the way to the dorms in awkward silence. Finally, Tenko spoke up. "Hey, so...I just looked at the weather report for tomorrow. Looks like it'll be perfect conditions for a beach trip. What do you guys think?" "Eh, I don't see why not. Might be our last chance before it gets cold." Shūjo said. The others agreed. "What about you, Rin-Rin?" Rin froze. "Uh...I dunno. It'll probably be crowded, and there might be sharks or something..." "It's always gonna be crowded. And if there're sharks they won't go for you. They'll probably go for something with more meat on the bones. Right, Jin?" Shūjo joked. "Dipshit." Jin grumbled. Rin paused again. "Well, guess I'm overruled. I'm on board then." "Sweetness! OK, I'm gonna run with Rosie to grab her a bathing suit before the shops close. See y'all tomorrow!" Tenko ran off. Rose followed after, but not before giving Rin a curious glance. "I, uh...guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then." Rin said, before walking away. "...what was all that about?" Jin asked. "Not our place to pry. If she wants to keep things private, that's her right." Hiyoko said. "You're right, but...just feels like she still doesn't trust us." Shūjo added. Later that night, Rin was in bed typing on her laptop. There was a knock at her door. She got up and opened it to see Rose standing there. "I hope I didn't wake you?" Rose asked. "Oh, no. I was catching up on my writing. What's up?" "Do you not trust us, Rin?" Rin was caught off guard by the question. "W-what do you mean?" "Your reaction today was very telling. It was the reaction of someone who has something to hide. Is it truly so horrible that you wouldn't trust us to not pass judgement?" "I...I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't have anything to hide." Rose cocked her head. "Why do you always cover your arms?" Rin paused in shock. "What's that supposed to mean?" "In the few weeks we've known each other, I've never seen you wearing anything without long sleeves. Even when the weather wouldn't require them." "S-so what? I've always worn long sleeves." "Truly? Because when I visited your mother's store today, there was a photo of you there from two years ago. I saw no long sleeves. Just a curiosity I noticed. Along with your sudden defensiveness." Rin grew more agitated. "Why are you asking me this?" "I know you're allowed your privacy, Rin. And I know we've only been around each other for less than a month. But at some point you need to open yourself to others." "'Open myself to others'. Says the girl who up until 3 weeks ago didn't know what emotions were." Rose was taken aback by this. "What are you hiding, Rin?" Rin paused. "What difference does it make?" she asked. Rose turned to leave. "I'm sorry to impose so much, Rin. But these three weeks for me have been transformative. For the first time I feel that I can connect with somebody. And it hurts to see someone I've connected with suffering in silence. You have a right to your privacy, Rin. But I also have a right to be concerned." As she was about to leave, Rin spoke up. "Hey, Rosie?" "Yes?" "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. You're right. I should trust my friends more. So...we'll see how tomorrow goes. And I'll decide...whether I should tell my secret. I don't want to make you feel bad..." Rin walked over and hugged Rose. "Thanks for helping my mom. It helps more than you'll ever know." "It's...no trouble at all. I'm happy to be of service." Rin let go. "Alright, go get some rest. It's a big day tomorrow." Rose smiled. "Yes, you're right. Have a good night, Rin." Rose walked out, and Rin shut the door. Rin sat down against the door. "...Dad...Tohru...please give me strength." She put her hands to her face. She looked at the bandages on her arms. "Tomorrow...after the beach tomorrow...I'm taking these ugly things off..." --- SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 NARUKI PUBLIC BEACH "Jeez, what's taking those slugs so long?" Tenko and Hiyoko were waiting outside a series of changing tents. Tenko was wearing a green-and-black swimsuit, while Hiyoko was wearing a yellow swimsuit with a wide-brimmed sun hat. "And JoJo complains about how long it takes me to use the bathroom..." Hiyoko said. Shūjo and Jin stepped out, Shūjo wearing a black beach shirt with the kanji for "menacing" printed on it, while Jin wore a black-and-silver shirt and a backwards cap. "Oh yes, fully clothed. Perfect beach attire." Tenko chided. "Sorry to disappoint." Shūjo retorted. "Don't gotta expose the world to what's underneath this." Jin added. "That's reserved for one person only, right?" Shūjo joked. "Better one than none at all, JoJo." Jin retorted. "Asshole." "Shithead." "Yeesh, footie derbies don't have this much tension." Hiyoko quipped. Then, Rose stepped out of the tent. She had on a dark blue swimsuit. "Is this...too much?" she timidly asked. The stick in Shūjo's mouth suddenly shot up. Hiyoko pushed it back down with her finger. "Uhh, Rose, for lack of better phrasing, I gotta say..." Jin began. "God DAMN, girl!" Tenko exclaimed. "...precisely." Jin added. Rose was blushing wildly. "Th-thank you..." "Wonder what's taking Rin so long?" Hiyoko asked. Rose thought to herself. Prior to coming to the beach, Rin had pulled her aside. "Listen, Rose...I've thought about what you said last night and...I'm gonna come clean about everything tonight. But today at the beach I'm still going to be hiding. Telling you all is one thing, but having huge crowds of people seeing what I have to hide is totally different. Just don't take what I'm gonna do as going against it, OK?" Rin had told her. In the present, Rin stepped out. "Sorry to keep y'all waiting." She was wearing a full-body red and black wetsuit. The others (save for Rose) were shocked. "What is THAT?" Shūjo asked. "Are you planning on exploring the depths of Planet Zebes or something?" Jin asked. "I, uh...I get sunburnt really easy. If this came with a hood I'd probably go with that, too. Hehehehe..." Rin trailed off. "A-anyway, we gonna get this show on the road or what? I might get sunburnt anyway at this rate..." The others gave a skeptical look, but chose not to press it. "Well, first things first. Have to find a good spot to drop our things. Let's get a move on." Hiyoko said. As they walked off, Tenko walked up to Rin. "Hey, are you feeling OK?" she asked. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Totally." "You've been acting kind of weird lately. I'm starting to get a little worried." "I'm fine, really." "You know you can tell me anything. I don't want you to think you can't." "...I know. I...there's so much I want to tell you guys. But not here. Let's just have fun today, OK? I can explain everything later." "Well, alright then. Doesn't sound any less worrying, but I'll take your word for it. Now let's go before the boys get us lost." The girls walked after the others, Rin giving a sigh as she did so. The group found a spot to drop off their things. "Right, you ladies sit tight. Me and Jin are gonna grab our lunch. Be back in a jiffy." Shūjo said. "Alright, you got cash on you?" Jin asked. "'Cash'. Pfff. I don't pay for my seafood. Come on. We're doing this hunter-gatherer style." Shūjo took out a net. "I don't even wanna know where you were hiding that thing." The boys walked off. The girls, save for the curiously absent Rose, began sunbathing. "Anyone wanna take bets as to how long it'll take the pickup artists to show up?" Rin asked. "Oh, I'd say about five seconds..." Tenko answered. Sure enough, a pair of bearded young men approached. "Well hello there, ladies. Now what're some fine lasses doing all alone like this?" asked the taller one. "Oh, you know. Waiting for our boyfriends to get us food." Tenko answered. "Wait, JoJo isn't my--" Hiyoko began, before being lightly elbowed by Tenko. "Roll with it. And I give that 2 weeks." she whispered. "Well ain't that a shame. And how about you, Red? You gonna play hardball like your friends here?" "Yeah, not interested. Also they aren't my friends, they're my lesbian lovers." The boys looked surprised. "Didn't you two say you had--" "It's a really fluid situation we have." Rin asserted. Suddenly, one of the boys quickly disappeared into the sand, followed by the other one. Moments later they were spat out into the ocean. Then, Rose emerged from the sand. "They won't be an issue any longer." she said. "Thanks, agent Sandy Snake." Tenko joked. Moments later, Shūjo returned with a net full of blue crabs. "Alright, lunch is here ladies. Raw or grilled, take your pick." "Boy, all that sea man imagery isn't just for show, huh?" Rin asked. "Hell no. This is second nature to me. Only thing I can't do is talk to dolphins." Rose looked curiously at the net. Something was sticking out of it. "What is that?" she questioned. Shūjo took it out. It was a pair of black swimming trunks. "Oh boy. Someone's free as a bird right now." he quipped. "Hey, now that I think about it, where's--" Tenko started. Jin was standing waist-deep in the water. "Hunh. Did the water get colder all of a sudden?" He looked down, and reeled in horror. He sank lower. "Oh, shit." Shūjo said. "Is...does that mean he's..." said Tenko, who was turning red at this point. Suddenly, her nose began to bleed. "Oh, boy. This turned into a thing." Shūjo quipped. "Well don't just stand there, get the boy his shorts!" Rin shouted, fanning a dizzy-looking Tenko. "OK, OK. Hopefully I get to him before something comes by looking for a nibble." Tenko's nosebleed intensified. "STOP SAYING THINGS!" Rin griped. Shūjo went over to a mortified Jin. "I think you're missing something, bro. I've come to deliver." "Don't say shit like that this close to my unshielded you-know-what!" "Please, I've touched this shit before. Not a big deal." "Wait, y-you've touched another guy's dick?!" "Yeah it was funny." "It wa--JUST GIVE ME MY GOD DAMNED SHORTS!" Jin angrily grabbed his trunks and hurriedly put them back on. "Freakin' weirdo." he grumbled. "I'm not the one that took five minutes to realize he was living life on the free and easy." Shūjo retorted. The boys returned. Tenko was covering her nose with a tissue. "Crisis averted, y'all. His family jewels are intact. You're welcome, by the way." Shūjo said. "Such a gentleman." Rin said sarcastically. "Excuse me while I go bury my head like an ostrich." Jin said, still blushing. Later in the day, the group gathered by the ocean. Rin was looking out into it. "What's up? You got something on your mind?" Hiyoko asked. "I've been thinking...I know it's only been a few weeks since I met you all, and I know you all had a bit of a clique already, but...thanks for being so accepting of me like this. It feels like I've known you guys for years. And that's why...I've decided." She turned around. "When we get back home, when we get ourselves sorted out...I'll tell you guys the truth. Why I'm so secretive, why I've been acting weird, and...why I'm really wearing this ridiculous thing. I don't want anymore secrets. If we're all gonna be in this together, then I want you guys to know the real me. And about...the lowest point of my entire life." "Rin-Rin..." Tenko muttered. "Let's hurry home, then. We don't want this weighing on your heart any more than need be." Rose said. Rin nodded. "OK. Let's go then." A while later, the group assembled in Rin's dorm. "She's been in there for a while..." Jin said. "Whatever's on her mind must be serious..." Hiyoko added. "Gotta be bad if there's all this secrecy." Shūjo said. In her room, Rin sighed. She took off her jacket. She looked at her family photo on the nightstand. "Here we go." she said firmly. She opened the door and walked out. The others reacted with surprise. "Your arms..." Tenko said. Rin's arms were completely bandaged. "I know what you all must be thinking. And I can tell you, that it is so much worse than anything you can imagine. This right here represents everything that's gone wrong for me in my life. It's a reminder of the lowest point of my sixteen years on this planet. The biggest mistake I've ever made..." Rin explained. "Rin, did you..." Jin began. "Do this to myself? Yeah, I did. But not with a knife or anything like that. I'm not one of those angsty kids moaning about how hard their life is when they've no idea what real pain is. I've endured the horrible stuff. But after my brother died...I couldn't handle it any more. My mind was just swarming darkness at that point. And so I..." Rin began to remove the bandages, only for Rose to grab her arm. "I changed my mind. You don't have to do this. If it's too painful--" "It is. But it'd be more painful to keep this bottled up, eating away at my heart. I need you all to see me as myself. So please...just let me do this." Hesitantly, Rose relented. Rin proceeded to take off her bandages. The others reacted with shock. "Jesus..." Shūjo uttered. "Yeah, I know. Actually gets worse the more you look. And I've had to look at it plenty. So, let's get on with it." "This is the story...of the worst mistake I ever made." --- NOVEMBER 15, 2018 NEAR THE BASE OF MT. FUJI Rain poured down, as it had on that horrible night in Naruki. Memories of that night swam through Ringo Kubo's head, as they had every night since then. And she figured they would as long as she lived. As long...as she breathed. She looked out at the sea of trees before her. Dense. Isolated. The perfect place to orchestrate her horrific plan. She looked at the sign near the entrance. "Aokigahara National Forest. WARNING: If you have come to bring your life to an end, please think this through. Think of your loved ones. Seek the proper channels. Please reconsider your actions." Rin had thought this through. It was all she could think about. She knew the kind of pain this would bring her mother, to her brother, still sitting in a cold prison cell. But the thoughts had grown too dark, the pain too severe. She wanted to see her father and brother again. And so, she proceeded inward. The ground was hard. She slipped on the hardened surface, drenched in rain. Still, she persisted. She came across a tree she thought was suitable for what she was planning. And so, dark thoughts swarming in her mind, she began to climb. She cut herself on the tree's bark, but she shrugged off the pain. This was nothing compared to what she had planned. As she reached a high point in the tree, she looked out. She saw a shadowy figure. This high up, that only meant one thing. She could make out the silhouette of a noose. She reeled in shock, and her grip loosened. As she fell, against everything she had been thinking of up to this point, she grabbed at the tree. The sticks and branches cut deep, and they cut many times. She finally hit the ground with a thud. The rain continued. She lay there motionless. Her arms had been ravaged, and were bleeding from innumerable cuts. She couldn't muster the energy to move. And she wondered what she was thinking. Even after all the planning, she still had some will to live. Her grasping for the tree proved that much. Any regrets were pointless now, though. Lying who knows how far in the woods, bleeding and battered, it was only a matter of time. She heard her father's voice. And he said only one thing. One thing that drove home what a mistake she had made. "Mom can't be there to welcome back Tan alone." She wept. Her tears indecipherable from the pouring rain. As she began to fade, she noticed a light growing larger in the distance. She had figured that this was the mythical white light people would see as they died. She accepted her fate. The light grew closer. Two of them, in fact. This was not an angelic escort to heaven. This was the headlights of a park ranger's vehicle, alerted by a passerby who had seen a girl walk into the woods. Rin's life would not end this day. As she faded into unconsciousness, she saw one final image. Her father stood there watching. "Not yet, my apple. Not yet." he said. She slipped into sleep. She could not see them again just yet. --- The group was in utter silence. Rin stood there too. "After the ranger found me, they got hold of my mom. When I came to, she was there in tears. She wasn't angry or anything like that. She was just glad I was alright. Well...alright is a strong word." She held up her arms. Both were covered with several large scars. "They stitched me back together, but they could only do so much. So I got these as a permanent reminder of how selfish and blind I was. I was so focused on taking the easy way out, I didn't even consider, really consider what it would do to who I still had. I lucked out that I didn't pay with more than just my arms. I saw a shrink for months after that. It took me even longer to muster the strength to write again. But I was alive. I still am. And it's a fight every day to push back the idea that I can finish it at any moment. I see it every night. I see my dad, my brother dying. And I see myself almost joining them." "But I realized something then. Death wasn't the answer. The people I loved were gone, but there were still people here that needed me. I wasn't the only one hurting. And..." She clenched her fist. "I was going to make damn sure that nobody else would have to suffer the way we did. That nobody could hold power over someone's life and think they could do what they wanted with it. I had to make this right. I would spend my life making it right if I had to. I had to, for the people I loved. The ones still here, and the ones that weren't." "I'm sorry I never said this sooner. But you all wanted to come with me on this quest. And you needed to see me like this, as myself, hiding nothing. I know none of you like the way things are, either. So...thank you. Thank you for coming with me, for helping me, for listening to what I had to say. I..." Rin trailed off. She began to cry. Slowly, Tenko stood up. Wordlessly, she embraced Rin. Rose did the same. Shūjo, Hiyoko and Jin followed. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Rin knew it then. She wouldn't have to face it alone anymore. She still had work to do. And her friends would be there every step of the way.